Ringing Bells
by KsE
Summary: Akuma, a new girl supposedly from China, but who is she and her twin? Bells and flute ringing out into the air, Usagi and her friends once again pick up their compacts.


Ringing Bells  
  
Chapter 1: Akuma's Dream  
  
As the 18 year old Usagi turned in her sleep, about 10 miles away, a small clink of a bell was heard, a shadow of a tall girl appeared, a small sigh escaped from the slit of her mouth, with a swish, she gone blending in with  
  
the shadows.  
  
Usagi stretched and yawned, today was the first day of school, and she wasn't looking forward to it, her mother shouted up the stairs.  
  
"USAGI WAKE UP!" Her mother shouted from the kitchen.  
  
"Coming mum!" Usagi shouted clambering into her school uniform, she paused as she saw the picture of the Three Lights, she sighed and sat down on her desk looking at the picture stroking it with her fingertips.  
  
"Oh Seiya, I miss you and the others so much," She whispered to the picture, with one last glance she ran down the stairs.  
  
Usagi met up with Minako as they walked to school together.  
  
"Usagi! You're early today," Minako commented as Usagi liked to sleep in late.  
  
Usagi smiled, "I've changed a lot since Seiya, Yaten and Taiki left Earth," She explained.  
  
Minako nodded, Minako was probably the only one who really knew how she felt.  
  
They arrived at the school with 5 minutes to spare but they headed to their tutor class, and sat in silence at their separate desk waiting for the teacher.  
  
The bell rang and the other students clambered into their seats, then the teacher came in with a new student walking proudly behind him.  
  
"Class, this is a new student, her name is Akuma Futago, would you like to say a few words about yourself Akuma?" The teacher asked her, she nodded.  
  
All eyes turned to face the strange new comer, she was tall and her skin pale, her eyes were dazzling blue and her hair was black and hung straight and shiny down to her waist, her fringe brushed again her eyes, her eyes were emphasised by the black eye shadow, as she held her head high, her jaw set straight, her face full of pride, her cheeks slightly hollowed for she was very thin, but not fragile. Her school uniform hugged her slender body as she opened her mouth to speak, her voice was soft, but yet sharp and alert and full of power.  
  
"My name is Akuma Futago, I'm 18, born in China but brought up speaking Japanese and Cantonese, I came here alone, my parents died in a car crash and I came here seeking something," She introduced.  
  
The teacher nodded and looked at Usagi, "Usagi, will you take Akuma around? Akuma your seat will now be behind the girl with the blonde hair," The teacher gestured to the seat behind Usagi, Akuma nodded and strode over and sat down.  
  
She sat in silence throughout the classes until it was lunch when she walked behind Usagi slowly. Gently she tapped Usagi's shoulder and make Usagi jump.  
  
"Sorry Usagi, I was wondering where the closest library is?" Akuma asked apologetically.  
  
Usagi started thinking, "I think you walk straight out of the school front gates, turn left and about two shops later, you'll find it," Usagi replied, but Akuma was already walking away.  
  
Akuma arrived at the library door and walked straight in, she went straight for a section with no comments, once chosen her book she sat in a corner and her fingers fluttered over the pages like spider legs. She found what she was looking for and settled down quietly reading.  
  
Usagi was frantic, she couldn't remember where Akuma was and the bell was going to ring, Minako sighed and said, "Usagi, Akuma's at the library!"  
  
Usagi stopped dead in her tracks then nodded and ran to the library.  
  
Akuma stood up and returned the book back to the shelf she reached the door and was about to open it when Usagi crashed straight into her nearly knocking them both over.  
  
"You seem to be in a hurry Usagi," Akuma said amused, she stood up straighter and smoothened out her skirt.  
  
"Sorry! The bell is going to ring and we're going to be late if we don't hurry!" Usagi blurted out.  
  
"Ah." Akuma said and strode out the library with Usagi following closely behind her.  
  
It was evening when Akuma finally returned to the shrine she was staying at, it was owned by an old man and his granddaughter Rei. She went behind the shrine and into her room sliding the door shut.  
  
She walked over to her wardrobe and opened it, taking out one of the outfits, silently she stripped and pulled the tight fitting clothes on, once finished she went over to the desk picked up a brush and brushed her hair in front of the mirror, she threw the brush back down on the table and studied herself in the reflection.  
  
Her hair like before hung down to her waist perfectly, her leather top was long sleeved and black, fitting tightly to her body, her trousers were black leather trousers flared at the end, tightly fitting with buckles all up the side. Finally ended with her black boots, once again made out of leather with a high stiletto heels.  
  
Shaking her head slightly she went over to her wardrobe again and this time pulled out a box, she walked over to her bed again, put the box on the bed and pulled a briefcase from under the bed, and rested it on her bed. Opening up the briefcase she removed a leather belt and put it round her waist buckling it up, she then slowly opened the box and took up 5 different coloured bells, she attached them to her belt with bits of strings. Then she took out a leather pouch, closed the box lid and attached that to her belt as well.  
  
She took a dagger out of the briefcase and studied the sharpness before slipping it into her right boot. Taking out a long sword, she slid it into a sheath. Checking her reflection once again, she left the room.  
  
She jumped up into one of the trees and merged together with the darkness as the sun started to set. She set out, the branches brushing against her arm at each leap she took.  
  
Rei was in her shrine, praying when Usagi, Minako, Makoto and Ami crashed in, Rei without knowing it was them, lifted one hand, and as swift as lightning threw it at full speed behind her, it missed them and hit a tree, sticking into it.  
  
Rei stood up and turned around, the other four were still from shock, "Never creep up on me again!" Rei screamed, her eyes flashing, then she stopped.  
  
"Rei? What is it?" Ami asked her slowly.  
  
"Evil, something is stirring in the park," Rei replied.  
  
They nodded slowly, Makoto asked them, "Did anyone bring their compact with them? I think it's safer if we have it so we can.." Makoto trailed off not wanting others who could possibly be eavesdropping on their conversation to know what they were talking about.  
  
"I've left mines at home," Usagi said, the others nodded.  
  
"Okay, we all meet at the park in 30 minutes," Rei said looking at her watch.  
  
Akuma landed neatly on her feet in the deserted park, looking around, she rested her hand on the hilt of her sword. She then heard the sound of a flute and braced herself pulling the sword out of the sheath holding it in front of her with her right hand, her left hand fluttered over the bells on her belt.  
  
Something hit Akuma's head and she fell, using the sword, she bounced back to her feet as a laugh rang out.  
  
Usagi, Rei, Makoto, Ami and Minako all ran to the park from different directions all of them hearing the laughs, the ring of bells and the sound of a flute, then when they all saw each other, a scream was heard, then silence, Usagi clutched her compact by her chest, biting her lip.  
  
"C'mon, let's see what's happening," Rei whispered, they approached the park slowly, walking through the spaces of the trees.  
  
When the trees finally cleared, they saw a figure clumped on the ground, with blood pouring out of back. They hurried over and Usagi turned the person over, and gasped. It was Akuma.  
  
"Usagi?" Akuma whispered quietly in pain.  
  
"Don't worry Akuma, we'll help you!" Usagi cried out, tears filling her eyes, Akuma lost conscious then.  
  
When she woke she was back in Rei's shrine, closing her eyes again, she felt someone cleaning the wound on her back and someone talking.  
  
"I wonder how that happened to her, the wound is pretty deep," Ami remarked as she cleaned the wound.  
  
"I don't know, but she must have been fighting, I found a sword on the ground and on the hilt it had her name on it," Rei said glancing at the sword which was lying on the floor.  
  
"Maybe, but did everyone hear bells and a flute?" Usagi asked.  
  
Akuma opened her eyes and saw everyone nod, Usagi glanced down.  
  
"Akuma! How are you feeling? We found you bleeding in the park!" Usagi exclaimed crouching in front of Akuma's face.  
  
Akuma smiled bitterly, "I'm fine," She tried to sit up and gasped in pain and Ami gently pushed her back down on the bed.  
  
"Futago, I wouldn't move, the wound is pretty deep, you could be seriously injured if you move anymore," Ami reported.  
  
Akuma nodded slightly and lied back down on the bed, Makoto asked her, "What happened?"  
  
"You wouldn't want to know, or if I told you, you would think I was lying or something," Akuma replied shortly.  
  
Usagi thought for a minute, "Well I do want to know, and I believe you Akuma," Usagi said softly.  
  
Akuma sighed, "if you must."  
  
She started her story.  
  
"I'll have to tell the whole story from the start, but it will sound stupid," Akuma warned as Ami started wrapping a bandage around her upper half of the body.  
  
"I was born in China, with a twin sister called Mitsukai, my parents got divorced so I went with my dad and she went with my mother. We both got taught differently, because from our names, you can tell practically that we're not normal. My dad brought me up with magic, I was known as the spawn of Satan. With these bells," She paused and reached over to her belt and removed the five bells, "Each is an element which I can control. The red one, is fire. The blue one, is water. The brown one, is earth. The white one, is ice. And then there's white and yellow one, that is wind and lightning together. He taught me how to control each of these, my mother taught my sister the same, yet she used a flute and was brought up learning about feelings and pain, my father brought me to Japan, to help me find the last power, the most powerful but," Akuma dropped her voice sadly, "My mother killed him, from then I had to find my own way to the power, this time it was different because my mother help another power and my dad the other, so their offspring would have a mixture of the two, but because now there's two offspring's only one can wield the power. To help them, they need to find five girls, who hold powers of, Fire, water, lightning, love and the power of the moon," Akuma shook her head, "But its almost against impossible, how many girls are in Japan?!" Akuma broke down in tears and the tears rolled down her pale face as she buried her head into her arms.  
  
Usagi watched helplessly, and glanced up at the others.  
  
Usagi mouthed 'What do we do? Do we help her?'  
  
Minako chewed her bottom lip and nodded, Makoto nodded, but Rei didn't look so sure. The sobs finally ended as Akuma fell asleep, with help from Makoto and Rei, Usagi carried Akuma back to her room covering her up with the duvet.  
  
Sliding the door shut, Usagi faced the others, "Look, my idea is we help her, I mean, she poured out her soul to us," She said tears threatening to spill down her face.  
  
"We have nothing to lose, she's lost everything, she deserves our help," Ami added in.  
  
"Who votes we help?" Minako asked, everyone raised their hands.  
  
"But if she tries to betray us, then," Rei lowered her voice and dropped her head, "We have to deal with her."  
  
No one said anything after that, they all knew what Rei meant.  
  
Akuma tossed in her nightmare, as the past gripped tightly onto her.  
  
The moon shone on the empty hill when a roll of clouds pasted over it, when the clouds dispersed, on the hill with the moonlight on their backs stood two figures.  
  
One figure represented a man of about 45 stood with a tall back cloaked in black. His blue eyes darting across the empty field, as the girl beside him rested her hand on the hilt of her sword, her lips parted slightly.  
  
"Father, I don't think they're here," Akuma said as she glanced around the empty field.  
  
"Never underestimate your mother Akuma," Akuma's father replied in his deep voice, he swept a hand forward in front of him as he tried to feel for the presence of other humans.  
  
A flash of white passed through the corner of Akuma's eye and she pulled her sword out and readied herself for a fight.  
  
"Well, well, well Akuma, it's a shame you followed your dad and not me," A voice rang out, as a figure appeared and swept her long silky blonde hair behind her smiling at us her blue eyes reading our souls.  
  
"Better than you and my sister," Akuma replied coolly looking down at her mother.  
  
"How nice my darling sister," Mitsukai said as she floated down next to her mother dressed in the same manner.  
  
"I know I'm so nice aren't I?" Akuma retorted sarcastically, her left hand rested on the latch that if she flicked it up, her bells would be on a hook ready to be used yet not fall out if she was swung upside down. Her right hand drummed on the hilt of the sword.  
  
Her mother glanced up at Akuma and saw the sword and chuckled, "You think a sword can defeat us? Think again!" Her mother launched herself in the air and turned into a leopard before pouncing towards Akuma's dad.  
  
Her mother had the power of the nature to turn into an animal, this power was powerful but Akuma's father had the power of nature to use his mind to throw attacks and defences, it was really powerful and put together into one you were invincible.  
  
A flash of white passed Akuma's eye just before she jumped out of the way of her sister's nails, as she jumped she pulled out the sword, it glistened in the moonlight and as Akuma twisted herself round in the air she quickly attached the ice bell to her sword and held it in front of her as her feet landed on the floor, during those few seconds, Mitsukai had drawn out her flute, hovering it in front of her lips.  
  
She blew softly, Akuma's knee buckled slightly as her legs burned with pain, gripping her sword tighter, Akuma launched the sword into the air twirling it between her fingers, and grasped it again and held it straight in front of her, her face full of concentration as a blast of ice flew out and hit her sister straight in the right arm making her drop the flute.  
  
Mitsukai caught it easily as Akuma switched her bell to the Earth bell, unsure of what to do. Something hit the back of her head and she collapsed to the ground groaning, blood seeped down the back of her neck, she stood up in a flash and threw her sword out from her chest straight towards a figure, the figure screamed in pain and Akuma hit the ground again on her knees as her focus became blurry, it cleared and showed her she had hit her sister is the stomach.  
  
The leopard roared in fury and pounded over to Akuma, Akuma shook her head and tried to stand but her legs wouldn't obey, she glanced over at Mitsukai and she was blowing the flute with her last breath, Akuma closed her eyes and knew it was the end.  
  
Instead, the blow never struck her, opening her eyes she froze in terror. Her father had leaped in to take the deadly blow, her father's body went limp.  
  
Her breath came back at last in short ragged breathes as she watched her mother and sister walk away without a backwards glance.  
  
She pulled her father's body in her arms and bent her head to his chest, he was breathing still, slightly.  
  
"Father, father, please stay," Akuma gasped out tears rolling down her face and dropping onto her father's like pearls.  
  
Her father's eyes opened slightly, "Akuma," he whispered, "Find the power of nature, get help from the," He paused and closed his eyes before speaking, "Sailor...." His voice trailed off and his body became still and lifeless.  
  
Akuma crawled over to her sword as her legs were weak, she grasped her sword by the hilt and dragged it back over to her father, sitting a metre away from him, she closed her eyes and undid the earth bell and replaced it with the fire bell.  
  
"Sorry Father," She whispered, using her sword, she took her long black hair which was down to her ankles and sliced the sword clean across leaving it just above her knees, taking the hair she calmly sprinkled it over her fathers body.  
  
She stood up shakily, and lifted the sword into the air, she twisted her hand and placed the sword behind her back, so that the tip pointed to the ground, she turned in a quick circle and ended with the tip of the sword pointing at her father.  
  
Bright red flames engulfed her father, she turned her head away unable to watch her father burn, flesh burning into the dark sky.  
  
Akuma sat facing away from her father until the crack of dawn when she finally turned back just to look at ashes, removing a small leather pouch from her belt, she collected the ashes and sprinkled them insides before picking up her sword and walking out.  
  
Akuma woke up with her pillow damp and her sheets on the floor, she gathered her sheets back on to the bed and stared up at the ceiling. She closed her eyes as tears slid down her face, her worst nightmare, the death of her father. The time when she had to be alone and face the world's terror on her own.  
  
She got out of bed and winced at the pain, she pulled on a black leather skirt and a thin black blouse before slipping on a black no sleeved top and zipped it up at the front. She sighed and tied her hair into a high ponytail, even though it was in a ponytail it brushed against her thighs.  
  
She walked over to her wardrobe and bent down to pick up a pair of boots wincing as a pain shot up her back. She bit her lip and slipped on the black boots which had a huge stiletto heels. She walked over to the door and slid it open, walking out into the big shrine room she nearly burst open Usagi's head, her heel was an inch away from Usagi's face.  
  
Gently, Akuma kicked Usagi in the stomach with the heel. Usagi just rolled over in her sleep, Akuma shook her head and left the shrine heading to the forests, blending in with trees. She ended up at a waterfall, somehow she didn't know how she got there, her feet seemed to drag her there, a shadow passed over her back. She ignored it, sat down and dropped the heel of her boots into the water, reaching into a skirt pocket, she took out a photo, she stared at it for a minute then stored it away as another shadow leaped past.  
  
I do not own any of the characters apart from Akuma, Mitsukai.  
  
I got the ideas to make this fan fic from Sailor Moon and Garth Nix's books, hence the bells. 


End file.
